Switching device for phonographs



y 1952 s. G. FALK 2,596,016

SWITCHING DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHS Filed Oct. 8. 1947 Z&. i. 1

PICK UP ARM I 9 Z2 Z9 IILLI I I II I I I I I x I I I v j I I v x I I, I,I l I I ELECTRIC MOTOR SVEN GUST AF FALK INVENTOR.

AGENT v Patented May 6, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to HartfordNational Bank and Trust pany, Hartford, Conn., trustee Com- ApplicationOctober 8, 1947, Serial No. 778,543

, In Sweden June 28, 1946 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946Patent expires June 28, 1966 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to phonographs generally, and moreparticularly to switching devices therefor.

It is known to provide phonographs with a support for the pick-up armthereof laterally of the turntable operatively associated therewith andto provide a switch in conjunction with said support. Such supports areusually arranged so that they are caused to assume different levels atthe loaded and unloaded positions thereof. Then, the arrangement is suchthat the switch is actuated thereby. Thus, the current passing to theelectric motor of the phonograph may be interrupted by the opening ofthe switch when the support is loaded by the pick-up arm bearingthereon. Contrariwise, the switch is closed to permit energization ofthe motor when the pick-up arm is raised from the support and the latteris thus unloaded. Certain types of phonographs may also be started byoperation of a switching member specially provided for the purpose. Suchmembers generally comprise a switching knob which is required to bepushed, for example, for closing the switch. The constructions are sodesigned that, when the switching member is operated, the support andthe pick-up arm are raised. Furthermore, the switching member isrequired to be maintained depressed until the motor starts running andthe mechanism lifting the pick-up arm has become operative. Otherwise ifthe switching member were released'prematurely, the motor would stop forthe reason that the pick-up arm still bears on the support and pushesthe latter downwards. This last, of course, results in that the currentflowing via the switch is interrupted again. Consequently, this form ofconstruction can hardly be considered as satisfactory.

The object of the present invention is to obtain an improvement in thesaid construction so that the switch may be moved, by means of theswitching member, into the position interrupting the current without theposition of the support being varied. For this purpose, in the deviceaccording to the invention, the system for transferring the movementbetween the support for the pick-up arm and the arm of the switch isprovided with a snatch coupling or a coupling comparable therewith. Sucha coupling is provided for permitting the switch to be moved to theposition closing the current, by means of a switching member acting uponthe arm of the switch. This is accomplished without the position of thesupport being varied since the coupling is such that it is releasedautomatically when the switching member is moved to the position closingthe current.

The snatch coupling preferably comprises two apertures formed exactlyopposite one another in two plate springs or similar members. The latterare substantially parallel and constitute a transmission lever. Then, aball, roller or similar member is provided between the plate springs, ona second transmission lever. The strength of the coupling between thesprings and the ball or similar member is such that, when the switchingmember is operated, the resulting movement between the springs and theball or similar member causes the coupling to be released.

The invention will now be explained more fully with reference to theaccompanying drawing showing, by way of example, one embodiment thereof.

Figure 1 is a side-view of the device.

Figure 2 is, on an enlarged scale, a crosssectional view of a specialpart taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2 showing, however, certain parts in differentpositions.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective fragmentary view of the holder Ishowing in dotted lines the relationship of the switch parts when in theclosed position.

As has already been mentioned, the pick-up arm I in its position of restbears on a support 2, provided laterally of the turntable 29, which iscapable of being raised and lowered in a suitable manner. The lowerextremity of the support 2 is articulated to a lever 3 which is pivotedat 4 in a support 5 which is secured to the housing 6 of the phonograph.The lever 3 is subject to the action of a spring 20 which tends to turnthe lever upwards about pivot 4 and raise the support 2. The housing 6comprises a two-part holder 1 for electrical contacts 8, as best seen inFigure 4, which may be connected to the supply wires 25 and 26 forswitching on and off the current from supply leads 21 and 28 to theelectric motor 24 for the phonograph. An angular lever 2|, carrying aconnector 30 which serves as a switch, is pivotally supported betweenthe elements of the two:- part holder 1 at 22. Two parallel orsubstantially parallel plate springs ID are articulated to one arm ofthe lever 2|. The spacing of the springs is partly determined by theangular lever 2| since one arm 9 thereof extends between the springs(see Figs. 2 and '3). The spacing is adjustable by means of a connectingbolt I, passed through the springs and a nut screwed thereon. The platesprings l0 exhibit two mutually opposite apertures |2 to receive a ballI3 supported in the lever 3 which is preferably provided with asupporting clasp I4 or similar device which embraces one plate spring byan aperture 3i (Figs. 2 and 3). One arm 9 of the switch 21 comprises atits extremity a projection or lug I5 which is engaged by one of the armsof a further angular lever IS. The latter is pivoted on the support 5 atI! and serves as a switching member. For this purpose the other arm ofthe lever terminates in a switching knob I8. A spring I9 secured to thesupport 5 has a tendency to maintain the switching lever in theinoperative position as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the device described is as follows:

Supposing that the parts of the device occupy the positions shown inFigure l, in which the pick-up arm I bears on the support 2 and pushesthe latter downwards, and that the angular lever 2| with the connector30 thereon serving as the switch is adjusted to occupy the positioninterrupting the current, so that the motor 2 for the phonograph isswitched ofi'. If, now, the motor 24 is desired to be started by meansof the switching lever IE, it is only necessary for the knob I8 to bedisplaced to the left in Fig. 1, so that the arm of the angular lever 16which is secured to the spring I9, raises the projection or lug I5 andthe arm 9 of the switch is moved from the position interrupting thecurrent into the position where the connector 36 bridges contacts 3closing the current as best seen in Figure 4. At the same time the platesprings I0 are lifted without the lever 3 being turned on the pivot 4thereof and the support 2 raised, which is possible owing to the factthat the strength of the coupling I2, i3 between the plate springs l9and the lever 3 in relation to the force acting upon the coupling due tothe pressure exerted on the support 2 by the pick-up arm I, is such thatthe plate springs ill 'slide upward over the ball I3 (see Fig. 3)whereby the former are forced apart. The resulting position of theswitch parts 8, 8, 30 in which the current is closed is maintained whenthe knob IE is released and the switching lever I6 is restored to itsinoperative position by the spring I9. When the phonograph is started inthis way the pick-up arm I, as is well-known, is lifted from the support 2 and moved across the record to be played, so that the spring 20is capable of raising the support 2. Consequently, the lever 3 is turnedupwards about pivot 4 and the ball l3, snatches again in the apertures52. When after playing the pick-up arm I is moved in known manner backto the support 2, the latter is pushed downwards by the pick-up arm Iagainst the action of the spring 20, so that the lever 3 turns downwardsagain. During this operation the coupling between the ball I3 and theapertures I2 is maintained so that the plate springs Ill are also pulleddownwards and the arm 9 of the switch and the connector 30 thereon ischanged over to the position interrupting the current as shown in Fig.l. Thereupon the described process may be repeated and each time theknob l8 may be released after the switch has been operated. It isevident that the construction of the snatch coupling may be modified indifferent ways without deviating thereby from the principle of theinventive idea. v

What I claim is:

1. A switching device for phonographs comprising a support locatedlaterally of the turntable of the phonograph and further adapted tosupport the pick-up arm thereof when the pickup arm is in the restposition, first means movably mounting said support for permittingsubstantially vertically reciprocatory movement thereof whereby weightof the pick-up arm on said support will move said support downwardly,means biasing said support upwardly, an electric motor adapted to drivethe turntable of the phonograph, switch contact means operativelyassociated with said electric motor, a switch member mounted formovement to a position to bridge said contact means, manual means formoving said. switch member to said contact bridging position, mechanicallinkage means connecting said support to said switch member so thatdownward movement of said support moves said switch member out of saidcontact bridging position, said mechanical linkage comprising a snatchcoupling connecting the switch member to said first means wherebymovement of said switch member by said manual means to said contactbridging position takes place even when said support is kept in the downposition. 2. A switching device for phonographs comprising a supportlocated laterally of the turntable of the phonograph and further adaptedto support the pick-up arm thereof when the pickup arm is in the restposition, means movably mounting said support for permittingsubstantially vertically reciprocatory movement thereof whereby weightof the pick-up arm on said support will move said support downwardly,means biasing said support upwardly, an electric motor adapted to drivethe turntable of the phonograph, switch contact means operativelyassociated with said electric motor, a switch member mounted formovement to a position to bridge said contact means, manual means formoving said switch member to said contact bridging position, mechanicallinkage means connecting said support to said switch member so thatdownward movement of said support moves said switch member out of saidcontact bridging position, said mechanical linkage means comprising asone transmission element, a pair of plate springs fastened together atone portion thereof and arranged substantially parallel to each otherand having at another portion thereof an aperture in each which are inalignment with each other, and as another transmission element, a leveron which is mounted a protuberance element, said protuberance elementbeing located between said plate springs and normally riding in theapertures of said plate springs, the strength of the plate springs beingof a predetermined value so that upon operation of manual means whensaid support is maintained in down position, the'protuberance ispermitted to disengage from the apertures in said plate springs,wherebythe coupling between said support and switch member is broken.

3. A phonograph comprising a turntable, a pick-up arm movable tooperative relationship with said turntable and to a rest position out ofsaid operative relationship, a support provided laterally of saidturntable and positioned to sup.- port said pick-up arm when saidpick-up arm is in said rest position, first means movably mounting saidsupport for permitting substantially vertically reciprocatory movementthereof whereby the weight of the pick-up arm on said support when sopositioned moves said support downwardly, means biasing said supportupwardly,'an electric motor for driving said turntable, switch contactmeans operatively associated with said electric motor, a switch membermounted for movement to a position to bridge said contact means, manualmeans for moving said switch member to said contact bridging position,mechanical linkage means connecting said support to said switch memberso that downward movement of said support actuates said switch memberout of said contact bridging position, said mechanical linkagecomprising a snatch coupling connecting the switch member to said firstmeans whereby movement of said switch member by said manual means tosaid contact bridging position takes place even when said support iskept in the down position.

4. A phonograph comprising a turntable, a pick-up arm movable tooperative relationship with said turntable and to a rest position out ofsaid operative relationship, a support provided laterally of saidturntable and positioned to support said pick-up arm when said pick-uparm is in said rest position, means movably mounting said support forpermitting substantially vertically reciprocatory movement thereofwhereby the weight of the pick-up arm on said support when so positionedmoves said support downwardly, means biasing said support upwardly, anelectric motor for driving said turntable, switch contact meansoperatively associated with said electric motor, a switch member mountedfor movement to a position to bridge said contact means, manual meansfor moving said switch member to said contact bridging position,mechanical linkage means connecting said support to said switch memberso that downward movement of said support moves said switch member outof said contact bridging position, said mechanical linkage meanscomprising as one transmission element, a pair of plate springs fastenedtogether at one portion thereof and arranged substantially parallel toeach other and having at another portion thereof an aperture in eachwhich are in alignment with each other, and as another transmissionelement, a lever on which is mounted a protuberance element, saidprotuberance element being located between said plate springs andnormally riding in the apertures of said plate springs, the strength ofthe plate springs being of a predetermined value so that upon operationof manual means when said support is maintained in down position, theprotuberance is permitted to disengage from the apertures in said platesprings, whereby the coupling between said support and switch member isbroken.

SVEN GUSTAF FALK.

No references cited.

